Method and apparatus for driving a rod or a pipe, more particularly an earth electrode, into the ground

ABSTRACT

An earth electrode assembly which is driven into the earth. The electrode comprises an elongated section and a tip portion which is rotatably mounted on the elongated section. The tip portion has blades which rotate the tip around its axis as it is driven into the ground.

United States Patent Versteeg [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRIVING AROD OR A PIPE, MORE PARTICULARLY AN EARTH ELECTRODE, INTO THE GROUND[72] Inventor: Gijsbert Versteeg, 55, Stationslaan,

, Nunspeet, Netherlands [22] Filed: April 6, 1970 [21 Appl. No.: 25,977

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 18, 1969 Netherlands..69.06079 [52] US. Cl. ..174/7, 175/22, 61/53.68 [51] Int. Cl. ..H01l3/06 [58] Field of Search ..175/19, 22, 415; 6l/53.68; 52/157, 155, 162;174/6, 7

[ 1 Aug. 29, 1972 Primary Examiner-James A. Leppink Att0rneylmin'e,Smiley, Snyder and Butrum [57] ABSTRACT An earth electrode assemblywhich is driven into the earth. The electrode comprises an elongatedsection and a tip portion which is rotatably mounted on the elongatedsection. The tip portion has blades which rotate the tip around its axisas it is driven into the ground.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG291972 I FIG.2

INVENTOR' usaskr vans-r H'l'lum: M M 7611" ATTORNEY METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR DRIVING A ROD OR A PIPE, MORE PARTICULARLY AN EARTH ELECTRODE, INTOTHE GROUND The invention relates to an earth electrode which is drivensubstantially vertically into the ground.

The driving of rod-shaped earth electrodes into the ground is faced withthe problem that the penetrating end meets a lot of resistance, so thatconsiderable forces must be exerted. Moreover, it takes a long time todrive an electrode into the ground. The necessary forces are oftenproduced by impacting hammers which exert forces longitudinally of theelectrode. With very resistant strata there is also the risk that whenit is being driven into the ground the electrode will be deflected fromthe verticahmore particularly if it consists of ,a number of partsconnected end to end. The electrode also often gets bent, so that it canno longer satisfactory answer its purpose. Considerable pressure is alsoexerted on the connecting parts between the electrodes, and when anelectrode is driven into stony ground this may cause the connectingparts to crack.

An attempt has been made to obviate these disadvantages by placing a tipon the end of the rod to be driven into the ground, but this method isunsatisfacto- To obviate these disadvantages according to the inventiona freely rotatable tip having cutting surfaces and blade-shaped partswhich rotate the tip around its axis while it is being driven into theground is disposed on that end of the rod or pipe which is to be drivenin. In this way the earth electrode drills its way into the ground,since while the electrode is being moved lengthwise by the forcesexerted, for instance, by an impacting hammer, the tip rotates due tothe forces of resistance exerted on the blade-shaped surfaces by thestrata. Preferably, the tip is in the form of a sheathshaped memberhaving disposed at its closed end cutting surfaces and blade-shapedparts. In the open end of the sheath-shaped member an electrode rod canbe disposed loose, that is freely rotatable in relation to the tip.Instead of a separate tip, the end of the electrode rod can have cuttingsurfaces and blade-shaped parts, in which case the rod must be rotatablein relation to the impacting hammer, or in relation to the nextfollowing part if the electrode consists of a number of parts.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detailwith reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a section through a tip for the performance of the methodaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view from below of the tip shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a tip as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which an earth electrodehaving a protective jacket is freely rotatably disposed;

FIG. 3a shows a tip as illustrated in FIG. I, in which an earthelectrode without a protective jacket is freely rotatably disposed, and

FIG. 4 shows an earth electrode, an end portion of which has cuttingsurfaces and blade-shaped parts.

A tip 1 has a sheath-shaped member 2 in the opening 3 whereof a rod canbe inserted. At the closed end cutting surfaces 4, 5 are disposed whichmerge into a s f w%%%%gn g if ace's 2 E v ii icI1 a i' di s e d pgrpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the tip in planes offset fromone another. The bore in the tip 1 has a flat end surface, so that theearth electrode cannot get jammed when being driven in. The electrode10, 10' is also slightly chamfered, so that any burr formed underconsiderable forces has no effect. In the electrode 11 shown in FIG. 4,an end portion has cutting surfaces and blade-shaped parts performingthe same functions as those on the tip shown in FIG. 1.

Tests in which an earth electrode was driven into the ground with a tipaccording to the invention and by the method according to the inventionshowed that the time required was approximately one-third of that neededto drive a pointed electrode into the ground by the conventional manner.

What I claim is:

1. An earth electrode assembly adapted to be driven into the ground,which comprises:

an elongate, cylindrical electrode provided with a cylindrical tipportion at one extremity thereof, said tip portion includinglongitudinally projecting blade means for easily penetrating the groundand longitudinally extending flute means for imparting rotary motion tosaid tip portion as same is axially penetrated into the ground, said tipportion having a longitudinally extending recess therein at the endthereof opposite said blade means, said electrode having a reduced endportion freely rotatably received in said recess and being of a sizebeyond said reduced end portion which is at least as large in crosssection as said tip portion.

2. The earth electrode assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said blademeans comprises a first blade having a fiat cutting edge extendingdiametrically of said tip portion, and a second blade having a flatcutting edge extending diametrically of said tip portion substantiallyorthogonally with respect to the cutting edge of said first blade, thecutting edge of said second blade being axially offset from the cuttingedge of said first blade.

1. An earth electrode assembly adapted to be driven into the ground,which comprises: an elongate, cylindrical electrode provided with acylindrical tip portion at one extremity thereof, said tip portionincluding longitudinally projecting blade means for easily penetratingthe ground and longitudinally extending flute means for imparting rotarymotion to said tip portion as same is axially penetrated into theground, said tip portion having a longitudinally extending recesstherein at the end thereof opposite said blade means, said electrodehaving a reduced end portion freely rotatably received in said recessand being of a size beyond said reduced end portion which is at least aslarge in cross section as said tip portion.
 2. The earth electrodeassembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said blade means comprises afirst blade having a flat cutting edge extending diametrically of saidtip portion, and a second blade having a flat cutting edge extendingdiametrically of said tip portion substantially orthogonally withrespect to the cutting edge of said first blade, the cutting edge ofsaid second blade being axially offset from the cutting edge of saidfirst blade.